Obama is the face of Halloween

Time’s running out for voters to decide who they want in the White House, but many have already made up their mind about one thing: More people plan to go as President Barack Obama for Halloween.

Sales of face masks of the president have raked in more than Mitt Romney for retailers throughout the nation. Spirit Halloween, a wholesaler with costumes at over 1,000 stores nationwide, told POLITICO that between the president and Romney, 63 percent of mask sales have been Obama’s while only 37 percent have been the former Massachusetts governor’s.

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Morbid Enterprises, another wholesale provider whose “exaggerated giant heads” are sold at retailers throughout the nation, told POLITICO that Obama’s have been “far more popular” than Romney’s since “he’s more apt to be mocked.”

Obama’s numbers are boosted by retailers also selling versions that make the president look like a zombie. (Romney has been left out of the zombie crowd by many costume retailers.)

Previous administrations have not been forgotten. Party City, which operates over 600 company-owned and franchise stores throughout the nation, has zombie masks of several past presidents. For zombie George H.W. Bush, Party City tells customers: “Read his lips: No new taxes for the undead.”

So can Obama and Romney mask sales tell us anything about the election? Minnesota-based HalloweenCostumes.com has seen sales of the masks rise and fall throughout the election. It has sold 30 percent more masks of Obama in total, “but right after the first debate,” which polls show the former Massachusetts governor won, “sales [of Romney masks] rolled up 83 percent while Obama’s dropped 32 percent,” Mark Bietz, vice president of marketing, told POLITICO.

Romney’s proposal to cut federal spending for public broadcasting has also had an impact on sales — Big Bird costumes have been flying off shelves. “Right after the comment was made and the Twittersphere erupted, almost overnight, we sold out of our Big Bird costumes,” Bietz said. “The same day last year, we’d only sold about 50.”

Disguise, a costume manufacturer with over 170 retailers nationwide, also “had an unexpected demand … [and] sold out for the season of Big Bird adult costumes,” said Jennifer Garcia, product brand manager.

Costume retailer Spirit Halloween teamed up with Rock the Vote to help drive voter registration, and it’s using mask sales to forecast the election. Spirit has mock voting booths at its stores to help customers register. As of Oct. 25, its Presidential Index showed Obama in the lead with 63 percent of mask sales compared with Romney’s 37 percent.

Trick-or-treaters who want to go as the first lady will have to put a little more effort into their costumes. Most retailers don’t sell masks of Michelle Obama — instead, they have wigs — and Ann Romney masks are even more rare.

Garcia said Disguise sticks to just the presidents because “they’re really the ones who are in political office; we don’t typically cross that line.”

Going as the vice president might be just as hard — Paul Ryan and Joe Biden masks are pretty rare. BuyCostumes, which has also been keeping track of Obama and Romney sales — and offers state-by-state and day-to-day trends — is one of the few selling masks of the two. The site, which shows Obama and Biden in the lead at 51 percent, jokes: “This poll can be bought!”

From a CNN/Money Magazine article: "As unscientific as the methodology may be, Spirit Halloween has accurately predicted the election winner by charting national mask sales since it started keeping track in 1996."

Add this to Obama's latest numbers in Ohio, and we have a pretty solid prediction of an Obama victory.